“Clearly, some people (stand up there Kyle) liked the new Opel Astra 1.4T Enjoy Plus quite a lot. Enough, in fact, to pen a word count more commensurate with War and Peace, than our traditional introductory “Quick Drives”.

Leaving me needing to do the somewhat Longer Drive, without very much to say, apart from to, broadly speaking, agree with the overall impression.

But wait, there is actually a bit more that I can add here, so let’s get to the nitty-gritty.

The new Astra is likely to instantly adhere itself to the walls of any South African petrolheads heart. When the marque was in such disarray, GM announcing that they’d be closed, then Germany offering to save it, then GM fudging the sale which might have meant now life, and associated shenanigans, South Africa must have shown our disappointment and exasperation only a little less openly than its country of origin.” – Drive Magazines review of our Opel Astra.